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By Y. H. Hatzor

"This is an extended abstract for a keynote lecture delivered by the author during the 2015 ISRM congress in Montreal on the application of the numerical discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA) method in rock mechanics practice. Due to the large scope of the topic this lecture will focus on studies performed by the rock mechanics group at Ben-Gurion University, alone or in collaboration which other research groups, and is not intended to provide a comprehensive review of everything that has been done on the subject worldwide during the past two decades. A forthcoming textbook (Hatzor et al., in preparation) will attempt to provide such comprehensive coverage.DDA has been developed by Dr. Gen-hua Shi while he was doing his PhD studies under the supervision of Professor R. E. Goodman at U. C. Berkeley (Shi, 1988). Dr. Shi has invented a new numerical discrete element method which provides a solution for dynamic deformation of block systems, hence its applicability to rock mechanics practice. The method is similar in essence to the finite element method in its implicit formulation of the time integration scheme and where in every time step the minimum potential energy of the entire system is sought, but here every element is a finite block with six degrees of freedom. The blocks are assumed to be stiff (simply deformable) so that most of the energy is consumed by slip along pre-existing discontinuities, the frictional resistance of which is assumed to obey the Coulomb-Mohr failure criterion for rock joints. The greatest advantage of DDA over alternative numerical discrete element methods is its robust area (volume) integration which ensures great accuracy even when the blocks are of irregular shapes, including non-convex blocks which may contain holes. The greatest disadvantage is the necessity to solve in every time step very large matrices of unknowns, imposing great CPU demand when the block system involves a large number of blocks. Another disadvantage is the sensitivity of the solution to the choice of the penalty parameter which is implemented in DDA in the form of stiff springs that are attached to contacts once detected automatically.The inherently dynamic formulation of the DDA method lends itself to solution of dynamic problems in rock mechanics. Dynamic analysis with DDA can be performed in different ways corresponding to different rock mechanics problems and loading conditions. Three main classes of loading conditions which are relevant to rock mechanics applications are discussed here: 1) dynamic loading of a single bock which rests on a stationary foundation, 2) response of a block to dynamic loading of the foundations, 3) wave propagation through a block system.The most common approach is to introduce the dynamic force to a specific block in an otherwise fixed block system and check the resulting deformation, typically the time dependent displacement or rotation of the loaded block. This approach is particularly useful for dynamic rock slope stability studies when a stability of a specific rock block against earthquake vibrations is in question. The first 2D-DDA benchmark test of this approach was performed by Hatzor and Feintuch (2001) who introduced harmonic acceleration functions into a block which rests on an inclined plane. The analytical solution proposed for this problem by Hatzor and Feintuch (2001) was later generalized by Kamai and Hatzor (2008). The first 3D-DDA benchmarking for this approach was presented by Bakun-Mazor et al. (2012) who studied single and double face sliding of blocks which rest on stationary foundations and subjected to harmonic input acceleration functions."

Jan 1, 2015

The effect of long term exposure of full size bolts to corrosive environments is presented. A special test rig was used to test four bolts under different loading conditions. Four, X-grade identical profile bolts, each of 21.7 mm core diameters (23.7 mm full diameter) were subjected to prolonged corrosion testing using acid sulphate water. The pH value of the circulated water varied between 3.4 and 4.3. The corrosion exposure test period lasted three and half years. Two bolts were axially loaded to 10 and 20 tonnes force respectively, the third bolt was subjected to a 360 Nm torsion load and the fourth bolt was left unstressed to act as a reference bolt. After the test period ended, the bolts were stripped of their corroded coatings and weighted for weight loss. The diameter of each bolt was subsequently measured, and the loaded bolt samples were first tested non-destructively for tensile cracks and then tested for tensile failure. No cracks were found on post corrosion bolts tested non-destructively. The failure strength reduction on all four post-corroded bolts was significant, varying between 21% and 39%. The onset of corrosion was not confined to the targeted mid-section length of the bolt, however, the severest corrosion occurred at the anchored ends of the bolts.

Aug 1, 2013

By K. Kim

"All milling operations would like to achieve the best possible recovery in combination with the highest achievable throughput. Unfortunately, many operations have problems with low recovery, low throughput or both. In the majority of these cases investigated by the author, the solutions to improve recovery and throughput were simple. The solutions did not include implementation of new technology or major capital, but rather a return to fundamentals. In most cases, problems occurred because the operation was not following their own operating procedures, because the design of the circuit was changed without adequate change management or understanding of the implications of changes, or because basic metallurgical measurements and control were not taken or ignored. In this paper, examples of these problems and their solutions derived from long and varied experience will be discussed. The objective of this presentation is to provide the milling operator with practical and readily implementable solutions to common milling issues to improve throughput and recovery.INTRODUCTION Mill operations can be evaluated by many operating parameters, but the two best indicators are recovery and throughput. These two parameters summarize the wellbeing of an operation. The grade to the mill is also a good indicator, but this is usually controlled by the mine. The best recovery and throughput are achieved through a team work involving operators, maintenance workers and metallurgical staff. The milling operations include many unit operations, such as crushing, grinding, flotation, leaching, carbon in leach, Merrill Crowe, roaster, autoclave and refinery. The tools available to the operations are plant design, process measurements, assays, metallurgical balance, and operating strategy. Twelve real life examples of improvements of recovery and throughput are presented in this paper. EXAMPLE 1: CRUSHING CIRCUIT WITHOUT FINE ORE BIN At this operation plant throughput could not be maintained at a high rate because feed to the mill became coarse during the day. The cone crusher was feeding the ball mill directly. As the day wore on, the gap on the cone crusher would slowly increase, which would cause the product size to increase. This would increase the re-circulating load on the ball mill. The throughput would decrease accordingly. Furthermore, the throughput would decrease more with high frequency of maintenance on the cone crusher."

Jan 1, 2019

By K. Nagy

To support the implementation of its integrated SHEQ Policy, Cameco has undertaken an environmental leadership initiative with the goal of moving beyond regulatory compliance and significantly reducing environmental impacts in five key areas: air emissions, treated water quality and quantity, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, and waste generation. To ensure environmental leadership becomes routine business practice, it was necessary to integrate the initiative into Cameco?s programs and management systems at the corporate and operational levels. Operations based environmental leadership strategies and action plans have since been developed, as well as a corporate reporting system to monitor Cameco?s environmental performance.

Aug 1, 2010

By Theophile Yameogo

The rock mechanics literature has documented the challenges, failures and successes of tunneling through weak rocks. Cases usually deal with low RMR rock masses or high stresses in a fractured zone. With the combination of 5MPa water pressure, 14 RMR ground with clay infillings and ground freeze walls, the case of the 510-8225N development drift at McArthur River is certainly much more challenging, especially when high grade uranium production is at stake. The article explains the excavation and the ground control techniques that were used to overcome the challenges of development at the Unconformity in the Athabasca Basin.

Aug 1, 2010

By J. Kang

There is increasing demand to utilize aluminium alloy sheets and their spot welds by the automotive industry. While traditional uniaxial tensile tests only determine mechanical properties to small strain, direct measurement of the constitutive behaviour of aluminium alloy spot welds at large strain remains a challenge. A technique was successfully developed using digital image correlation coupled with shear tests to directly measure the constitutive behaviour of an AA6022-T4 spot weld to large strains. The results show that the spot welding process not only decreases the yield strength but also lowers the work hardening rate of the nugget versus the base material. Details of sample preparation, experimental approach and results will be discussed.

Jan 1, 2011

"Since World War II, urban communities have expanded at an unprecedented rate. The industrial mineral industry supplies the sand, grave], limestone, crushed rock, cement, gyp-sum, etc. for urbanization. Most de-posits in use are close to or within communities. Pollution of water and air has become a matter of public concern. Waste disposal and the effects of noise and vibration are subjects of public debate. Need for the reclamation of land after operations such as strip mining is discussed in magazine articles and on TV pro-grams; i.e., the general public is educated in the unattractive features of mining.Legislation is on the books and being drafted to regulate mining operations and their side effects. To avoid over-regulation and restrictive legislation, it is necessary that the public be educated and legislators informed of problems peculiar to the mining industry. Our side of the story needs publicity."

Jan 1, 1968

By C. Gaubert, G. Bourassa

"The construction or rebuild process in the anode baking furnaces has been modeled with the software Rockwell Arena, in order to minimize the process cost and risk. The case study was focused on the sectional rebuild (""on the fly"") that needs a high coordination of the material inventory, the on-site personnel and the construction/production schedule. Multiple entities and resources were allocated for the different part of the process (in-furnace process, prefabrication, materials transportation, etc.). Logic flow charts and VBA macros were used to simulate the space utilization (including cranes utilization) and interaction with production. MS-Excel output files can show user-friendly results."

Jan 1, 2006

By H. H. Claudet

PROBABLY the first flotation mill for treating molybdenite ores was put into operation .in Norway during 1913, when the writer was employed to introduce and apply the Elmore vacuum flotation process at a mine in southern Norway. These operations proved successful and led to other similar installations in that country. It remained, however, for Norwegian engineers themselves to iron out their difficulties and establish the molybdenum industry on a basis which ultimately attained world importance. Just as today, an urgent demand for molybdenum arose during the world war of 1914-18. By 1916, many molybdenite properties were in operation in Canada and several small concentrating mills were under construction. At one of these, in the Ottawa Valley district, the opportunity came for applying the Elmore vacuum flotation process, using a flow-sheet similar to that adopted in Norway. Later, as one of the staff of the General Engineering Company, who had already developed a highly efficient flowsheet for treating molybdenite ores, using the Callow pneumatic flotation process, the writer devoted considerable time to research work and investigations on a number of molybdenite projects and deposits in eastern Canada. The bulk of Canada's production of molybdenite was coming at that time from the Moss mine at Quyon, Que., where concentration of the ore was effected by water-film flotation. It is of interest to note that this process, based on the principle of surface tension, had been developed and introduced by the late Henry E. Wood, of Denver, Colorado- one of the original owners of the Moss mine-at the time he was investigating the Elmore vacuum process in his Denver plant. The process, with certain modifications, was used at several other properties in eastern Canada, and notably in the ore dressing laboratories of the Department of Mines at Ottawa and in a plant at Renfrew, Ont., in both of which ore from deposits in various parts of Canada was treated, with recovery of very appreciable amounts o much needed molybdenite. During the summer of 1917, the water-film flotation mill at the Moss mine was dismantled and the plant was re-modelled by the General Engineering Company to include the Callow system. This installation, using improved flotation methods, was highly successful both as to recovery and grade of concentrate, and proved a decided advance in molybdenite concentration, a recovery of upwards of 90 per cent being obtained, with a concentrate grading over 90 percent MoS2.

Jan 1, 1944

By Bert S. Hall

"The purpose of this paper is to review the evidence at hand concerning the earliest centuries of cast iron in Europe, from roughly 1400 A.D. until the second half of the sixteenth century. For the most part it is concerned with the relationship between two technologies which emerged first in China and then later appear in Western lands, gunpowder weapons and iron founding. We should not assume, as I hope to show later in this discussion, that weapons constituted the only product for which the iron founder had any market, but it is clearly true that attempts to produce weapons constituted the most severe technical challenge for the early founder. Firearms appear for the first time in Europe in the 1320s and develop into significant weapons on the field of battle by the end of the century. Theirs is a complex history, subject neither to easy summary treatment nor to simplified models of development. I hope to be able, through the analysis of the evidence concerning cast iron, to show that one important strand in the fabric of gunpowder's history concerns the materials from which cannon could be made. This question is subject to a number of shades of meaning, because ""cannon"" can be made for many purposes under a profusion of different names, and under sharply varying conditions of use. As a result, the question of materials is frequently really a question of competing materials, and involves a complex set of factors, of which production costs and the ultimate safety of the user seem the most important. Judged in this manner cast iron was an important but unsatisfactory metal for weapons purposes until 1543, at which time English founders learned to make iron muzzle-loading cannon which could rival bronze ordnance in most important performance criteria, but which cost much less to produce. With that event, the history of cast iron and the history of weapons entered into the close relationship that persisted until the advent of rifled artillery made of steel in the middle of the nineteenth century."

Jan 1, 1999

Innovation ? In economics a change must increase overall value, customer value, or producer value. ? Innovations are intended to make someone better off, and the succession of many innovations adds growth to the whole economy. ? Innovation may refer to both radical and incremental changes to either products, processes or services.

Feb 1, 2008

By D. B. Dreisinger, A. A. Gunaratnam

A pressure oxidation (POX)-hot cure (HC)-lime boil (LB) process is used in industry to recover silver from refractory gold sulfide ores containing minerals such as pyrite and arsenopyrite. Pressure oxidation is used to oxidize minerals and liberate occluded gold particles. As such, iron goes into solution and under acidic and high temperature conditions often precipitates as basic iron sulfate (BFS). BFS consumes excess lime during neutralization prior to cyanidation. Therefore, a hot cure stage is required to re-dissolve BFS back into solution. BFS re-dissolution consumes acid and produces ferric sulfate. In the presence of silver, these conditions favor the slow formation of silver jarosite. Silver jarosite is refractory to cyanidation, and must be broken down prior to cyanidation. This is done in the lime boil to produce a cyanide-soluble silver hydroxide. A study was conducted to investigate parameters that affect the precipitates that form in each stage of the POX-HC-LB process.

Jan 1, 2017

By I. Raheb, M. Y. Debili

"A set of Al-Co binary alloys (with respectively in weight percent 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50% and 60% Co) have been studied by X-ray diffraction at the as compacted state. The structural evolution according to cobalt addition shows special features as the apparition of fcc cobalt and hcp cobalt beside aluminium in some cobalt compositions of the Al-Co mixtures using only cold compaction without sintering at high temperature. Figure 1 Cobalt is not a common alloying element in aluminium because its solubility is very low [1]. According to the pressure-temperature phase diagram, Co is known to exist in two allotropic forms: a low-temperature hcp phase and a high-temperature fcc phase [2-3]. At room temperature, Co is stable in the hcp form but it transforms to the fcc form when it is heated to above the transition temperature 695K. Powder aluminium and cobalt (99.999 %) were used in the proportions defined according to the required compositions. The total mass of the samples to be elaborated was between 8 g and 10 g. Cold compaction of mixed powder (Al-Co) under an uniaxial load of 10 MPa has been achieved to obtain a dense product (60%)."

Jan 1, 2015

By Elizabeth Edwards, Radhakrishnan Mahadevan, Vladimiros G. Papangelakis, Srinath Garg, Kurtis Judd

Mineralogical characterization of the tailings showed the deportment of Ni to be similar in the Vale and Glencore tailings, with 60% of the total Ni locked in pyrrhotite, and the balance 40% associated with pentlandite. The overall Ni dissolution was correlated with the individual dissolution extents of pyrrhotite and pentlandite as functions of four leaching regimes: ‘anoxic acid’ (with and without pH control), ‘oxic acid’ (oxygen sparging), ‘oxic acid’ (air sparging), and ‘oxic ferric’ (air sparging). The results showed that the maximum Ni dissolution was obtained during the pH controlled oxic acid leach with oxygen sparging at pH 1.5, while the anoxic acid leach at pH 1.5 resulted in minimum Ni dissolution (10–15%) from pyrrhotite. An overall Ni mass balance showed that pyrrhotite and pentlandite dissolve simultaneously in the presence of Fe(III) and oxygen, in contrast to the preferential dissolution of pyrrhotite in the absence of Fe(III). Sulphur mass balances revealed that the yield of elemental sulphur is maximized (65%) during the oxic Fe(III) leach at pH 0.6. Furthermore, the kinetics of Ni leaching and elemental sulphur formation from pyrrhotite tailings leached with ferric sulphate between 55–80°C was investigated at constant oxidation-reduction potential. Elemental sulphur yield increased with increasing temperature, but no observable trend could be linked to ferric or ferrous ion concentration.

Jan 1, 2017

By Z. D. Hora

Air hough diatomite is known in many parrs of British Columbia, deposirs of mineable size have only been found in the area between Kam/oops and Quesnel in the sourh-cenrral parr of rhe province. Ar Quesnel, commercial producrion has continued since 1950 from diatomite lenses up ro 35m rhick. OCCURRENCES of diatomite are reported from many parts of British Columbia, but deposits of mineable size are known only from the area between Kamloops and Quesnel. Only Quesnel deposits have yet reached the production stage. Commercial production dates back to 1950, and up until 1979 approximately 22,700 tonnes of diatomite had been produced. Most extracted diatomite was processed until 1980 by Crownite Industrial Minerals Limited in Quesnel to produce an oil absorbent and animal bedding. Smaller shipments are used to make insulating bricks on the lower mainland. Deposits near Quesnel extend 40 km along the western bank of the Fraser River from Quesnel to Alexandria; most production has come from Lots o. 6132 and 906. Di atomite is present as discontinuous lenses up to 35 m thick. Diatomite beds Industrial Minerals in Canada are of Upper Miocene age and are overlain by plateau basalts. Diatomite consists almost exclusively of Melosira granulara diatoms that are usually very small and mixed with variable amounts of clay, ilt and volcanic ash. In recent years, extensive beds of diatomite were identified near the confluence of the Chilcotin and Fraser rivers. Diatomite in this locale is a part o f the Upper Miocene to Pliocene Chilcotin Group of sedimentary rocks that are overlain by olivine basalt and related luffs. A deposit near Red Lake is situated 50 km northwest of Kamloops. Diatomite beds occur in the Tranquille Series of Eocene age and are similar in composition to those in the Quesnel area. The Red Lake deposit is abo ut 4 m thick but its areal extent is only a few tens of hectares.

Jan 1, 1984

By I. Stefanou, J. Sulem

"In the last thirty years, the study of earthquake mechanisms has emphasized the major role of rock friction. Earthquakes appear to be the result of a frictional instability and occur by sudden slippage along a pre-existing fault or a plate interface. Multiphysics couplings play a major role in earthquake nucleation and seismic slip. The effect of shear heating and thermal pressurization may be of prime importance in the control of the stability of shear deformation inside the slipping zone. Other mechanisms in relation with thermal decomposition of minerals affect the pore pressure and the temperature evolution of the system, and can play a significant role in the extreme strain localization observed in field. The actual width of the localized zone is a key parameter for understanding fault weakening mechanisms. On the basis of field observations, laboratory experiments and recent advanced modeling, these phenomena are analyzed and discussed in order to bring some new insights in the understanding of earthquakes nucleation.INTRODUCTIONIn the last thirty years, the study of earthquake mechanisms has emphasized the major role of rock friction. Earthquakes appear to be the result of a frictional instability and occur by sudden slippage along a pre-existing fault or a plate interface (Scholz, 1998; Sykes, 1978). The conceptual model of spring slider system is commonly used to represent the interaction between an elastic crustal block and a fault zone. Stick-slip instability is possible if the softening rate of the shear resistance of the fault zone is high enough as compared to the stiffness of the crustal block. Therefore, weakening mechanisms that can explain how the frictional resistance of a fault decreases with slip and/or slip rate is of prime importance to understand how an earthquake nucleates. In recent years, several drilling programs in active faults (e.g. the Nojima fault in Japan, Boullier, 2011; the Aigion Fault in Greece, Cornet et al. 2004, the Chelungpu fault in Taiwan, Ma et al. 2006, and the San Andreas fault in the U.S.A. Ellsworth et al. 2000) as well as high velocity friction experiments (e.g. Tanikawa et al 2012a; Tanikawa et al. 2012b) have highlighted the physico-chemical processes involved in the nucleation of seismic slip (see for the example the review paper of Niemeijer et al. 2012)."

Jan 1, 2015

By Adrianus (Adrian) Halim, Tomas Bolsöy, Stina Klemo

"This paper describes the ventilation system used in underground hard rock mines in Sweden and Finland, which is very different than the system used in other major mining countries such as Australia, Canada, South Africa, and USA. The system utilizes auxiliary fans with Variable Speed Drive to distribute primary airflow to working levels instead of regulators that are commonly used in other countries. Descriptions about Ventilation on Demand in this system and ventilation regulations in Sweden and Finland are presented in this paper. This paper also quantifies a comparison between the Nordic and the system used in other countries. KEYWORDS Auxiliary fan, Regulation, Ventilation on demand (VOD), Variable speed drive (VSD) INTRODUCTION The primary objective of an underground mine ventilation system is to provide sufficient airflow to dilute atmospheric contaminants that are produced by mining activities. Typically, a mine ventilation system consists of one to four primary fans, regulators to control primary airflow distribution to levels or panels, and auxiliary fans that distribute airflow to dead-end workings via ducts. Depending on circuit geometry, underground booster fans are sometimes used. This system is widely employed in many countries such as Australia, Canada, USA, United Kingdom, and South Africa. However, mines in Nordic countries such as in Sweden and Finland employ a different system, in which auxiliary fans instead of regulators are used to control primary airflow distribution, as well as distributing airflow to dead-end workings. This paper describes the general layout of Nordic ventilation system, its VOD and heating system, its comparison with the system that is widely used in other countries which is referred as “Non-Nordic ventilation system” in this paper, and the current ventilation regulations in Sweden and Finland. The comparison was quantified by doing simulations using Ventsim Design 5 software. DESCRIPTION OF NORDIC VENTILATION SYSTEM General System Layout Figure 1 shows a schematic of typical ventilation system used in Swedish and Finnish mines. The schematic was drawn by Franzen, Myran, Larsson, and Rustan from Stiftelsen bergteknik forskning (Swedish Rock Engineering Research Foundation) and the English translation is written next to the Swedish terminologies. The system is generally a push-pull system. None of Swedish and Finnish mines use exhaust system. As shown in Figure 1, the primary airflow is distributed to levels by auxiliary fans that are bolted to a bulkhead located in the access to intake raise/shaft. These intake fans are attached to ventilation ducts that distribute airflow to all working faces. The exhaust auxiliary fans, which are not attached to any ducts and also are bolted to a bulkhead located in the access to exhaust raise/shaft, then flow the exhaust airflow into the exhaust shaft. A small quantity of this exhaust air is directed into the ramp, which acts as another main exhaust airway. The deepest level is also equipped with booster fan(s) that draw air from the intake shaft/raise and direct it into the ramp to provide fresh air in the ramp. There is no free split in this system. Figure 2 shows a schematic of a level ventilation layout in the Nordic system. Figure 3 shows a photo of these auxiliary fans."

Jan 1, 2019

By Greg Yuriy

This paper discusses research carried out by the Laurentian University Mining Automation Laboratory (LUMAL) in the field of discrete-event simulation of mine equipment systems and reliability assessment of these machinery using genetic algorithms. The AutoMod simulation package, from Brooks-PRI Automation Inc., is used in this research. It is a 3-D discrete-event simulation/animation software tool for creating realistic depictions of manufacturing and materials handling systems. Discrete-event simulation involves modeling of real-life systems based on variables and events which occur or change at distinct points in time. In our case, a two level, multi-drift sublevel stoping model was created in AutoMod for the simulation of the equipment fleet employed in the development cycle (drilling, explosives loading, blasting, materials hauling, ground support) of a typical underground mine in the nickel mining region of Sudbury in Ontario, Canada. The equipment primarily considered in the simulation is Load-Haul-Dump (LHD) vehicles (scooptrams), drills, explosives-loaders and roof bolters. The purpose of the simulation study is to assess the impact of equipment failures to mine?s production throughput. In more detail, using Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) data of scooptrams derived from a reliability assessment model based on genetic algorithms, LHD failures are incorporated into the simulation model. These failures cause production interruptions to the development cycle and consequently loss of hauling capacity. This paper will indicate the significance of equipment failures to a mine?s production and suggest a methodology based on the combination of discrete-event simulation and a predictive reliability assessment model using genetic algorithms for the study and analysis of mine equipment systems.

May 1, 2003

By J. W. Reynolds

This paper describes the function of the research and development department of a large mining organization and the benefits which can be derived over the years. Examples are given of work done in rock drilling, ventilation, noise control and the development of backfill stowing machinery.

Jan 1, 1970

"With the globalization of the mining industry, many companies are now seeking to invest in underground diamond mines, with the purchase of small diamond pipes being seen as particularly attractive. However, recent experiences in South Africa have shown that many projects fail due to a lack of awareness of the hazards associated with diamond mining. In this paper three significant hazards are dealt with — mud rushes, block crushing, and implementation of an inappropriate mining method. Measures that assist in the prevention of these three hazards are given.IntroductionFor over a hundred years, South Africa has been seen as the centre of the diamond mining industry, possibly having the largest number of operational underground diamond mines in the world. Despite the fact that this industry has been dominated by large mines of De Beers Consolidated Mines Limited, many small underground mines have operated profitably for a number of years, exploiting diamondiferous fissures and pipes. In the last decade there has been renewed interest in these small operations from international companies. However, many of these projects have not realized their full potential owing to a lack of appreciation of the hazards inherent in the operation of a diamond mine.Hazards Associated with Diamond MiningIn the development of a diamond mine, the mining company must be aware of the hazards associated with diamond mining. There are three main hazards: (1) mud rushes; (2) block crushing; and (3) selection of an inappropriate mining method (not a natural hazard, but a planning induced hazard). Each of these hazards will be dealt with in turn in the following sections."

Jan 1, 2000